Monday, April 02, 2007

Steve, you left us much too soon. Steve was a good kid, just as he became a good man. Those who knew him well, knew him to be a good humored, tough competitor. He was a good athlete and never seemed to give in to temper or frustration. Some of the coaches thought he could be a little lazy at times, but his talent always seemed to overcome those shortcomings. He became a respected commercial real estate developer in Dallas where he lived out most of his life. He passed away in early 2005 while on vacation celebrating his 60th birthday.July 2011 update: Steve was one of the first youngsters at Meadowbrook to take an interest in me as newcomer to his school. Both of us played football but he was a lot better at it than me and he was larger. Steve was a handsome kid who drew the attention of the cheerleaders, Gay Burton, Celia Beall, & Julie Hudson. In those days school cheerleaders held a kind of pre-Rock Star status…at least in the minds of adolescent boys. His ready friendship helped usher me into his clique of friends, both boys and girls, which made those early years with the future 1963 Highlanders easier during the tough post-pubescent years of growing up.
Steve was a Junior High scholar and remained a credible EH scholar through to graduation. As I recall, his best friends were Paul Tate, Sam Scott, Tom Koebernick, Bob Dillard, Paul Shields, Kendall McCook, Danny McCoy, Larry Guthrie, Mike Cooper, and maybe Bob Larmer—athletes and scholars, all. I think all of them had been in school together since the primary grade years at Meadowbrook Elementary in the early 1950s.
I think Gay Burton was his steady girl during our school years on the East Side…that’s Gay in the center picture above taken in the early 1980s at a class reunion. Like many adolescent boys, Steve wanted to be a Gynecologist when he grew up, stemming from a strong sense of intellectual curiosity, I’m sure. Although Steve was a constant friend during our school days, I don’t think I ever knew he had siblings, or if he ever spoke of them, I don’t recall it or of seeing them….think they were all quite a bit younger.God bless you my friend.